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Swenson Redeen Meat Market (circa 1932) operated for 25 years at 6512 Walker Street. Photo: SLP Historical Society. Many Ward 1 residents I’ve talked with while campaigning say they wish there were more places in St. Louis Park to walk to, where they could grab a sandwich or a glass of wine, browse a little book store or pick up a gift. Like Linden Hills in Minneapolis, or St. Paul’s Grand Avenue. We’re creating a walkable community, they say, let’s have more places to walk to. I agree that having more community-oriented shops and restaurants would add to our quality of life, whether we walk, bike, drive or take public transportation to get there. Within Ward 1, we have an exciting opportunity to guide the development of a unique destination shopping/dining area in the Historic Walker-Lake district. I’d like to see our city council proactively engage with property owners, developers and residents to make it a reality. The Walker-Lake area is considered St. Louis Park’s original downtown. Located in the Sorensen neighborhood, the area includes an eclectic collection of buildings completed between the 1890s and the 1960s including the Walker Building (1892) and London Square (1949). The St. Louis Park Historical Society has a home in the area, as does the St. Louis Park Emergency Program. Modest efforts have been made to revitalize the area already. In 2015, the city secured a grant to create branding and signage for Walker-Lake, and this summer, a neglected strip of Walker Street was resurfaced. Later this year, the American Legion will reopen at 6509 Walker Street (after being displaced by redevelopment on 36th Street), bringing activity to a commercial area that’s currently abandoned at night. And just last week, students working to create The Nest, St. Louis Park’s future teen center, looked at spaces in the area where they might set up shop. But given imminent development in the area with the advent of SWLRT, as well as the number of buildings currently for sale or likely to go on the market soon, I think we should move more quickly. I recently sat down with a property owner in the area who suggested specific strategies for how the city can proactively create a vibrant commercial corridor along Walker-Lake. I’d like to see our city tap into the knowledge and expertise of such community-minded property owners as we decide how – and with which developers – to invest our finite resources. Some ideas I’d like our city council to explore include:
Do you support repurposing existing buildings, when feasible, to preserve the character of our community? Are you interested in having more community-oriented, locally owned shops and restaurants in St. Louis Park? Please email me your thoughts. Lake Street today
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